1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to beverage dispensers and more particularly to beverage dispensers of the type that are portable and are associated with hot beverage brewers which pass freshly brewed beverage directly into the dispenser.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Portable hot beverage dispensers of the type that fit snugly beneath the drain hole of brew basket for direct receipt of freshly brewed beverage, such as freshly brewed hot coffee are well known. Such known dispenser has a one to three gallons carrying capacity within an insulated hollow body, a cover with a funnel opening, a pivotally mounted handle and a stopper or closure for closing the funnel opening in the top. The handle is attached to the handle to prevent loss. When it is desired to freshly brewed coffee, for instance, the stopper is removed and the handle is lowered to an inoperative position. The dispenser is then slid beneath the drain hole of a brew basket of a coffee brewer and when freshly brewed coffee passes out of the drain hole it flows directly through the open funnel opening and into the hollow, insulated body. After the dispenser is filled, it is slide out from beneath operative engagement with the brewer, the stopper is inserted close the funnel inlet opening and the handle is raised to an elevated position in which the stopper is locked into closing engagement with the funnel opening to reduce heat loss and to prevent spillage during carrying. The beverage dispenser is then manually moved to a serving cart or is simply carried to a serving location remote from the brewer, such as a on top of the very table at which customers are being served, at a service counter or at a side table or other location.
As soon as one of the dispensers is removed from the brew position beneath the brew basket, another substantially identical dispenser that is empty can be moved into the brew location and a new brew cycle may be commence immediately to fill the identical dispenser while the first dispenser is being used to serve the beverage. Thus, there is no need to wait for the first dispenser to be emptied before more coffee is made and a single brewer can be used to successively fill a series of empty dispensers without delay.
When the handle is in an operative position it extends substantially above the top of the dispenser body. The handle remains in this upwardly extending position during serving for it is in this position in which the stopper is locked into closing engagement with the funnel opening. The raised handle during serving substantially adds to the height of the dispenser and presents a xe2x80x9chigh profilexe2x80x9d configuration that could be considered cumbersome, unsightly and when on a table where people are seated can partially obscure their view of one another when on opposite sides of the dispenser.
Other dispensers of this general type are know in which the stopper or other closure for the funnel opening is not attached to the handle or otherwise attached to the dispenser. In such dispensers, the detached funnel opening closure may become lost or separated from the dispenser location. In addition, particularly from a distance, it is difficult to determine whether the stopper is in the funnel opening, indicating that there is beverage remaining in the dispenser or not, indicating that the dispenser is empty and ready to be refilled. If a dispenser is place beneath the brewer and a brew cycle commences with the stopper still closing the funnel or with beverage remaining in the dispenser the dangerous spilling of hot coffee is the unfortunate result.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing disadvantages of known dispensers are overcome or alleviated.
This objective is achieved in part by providing a beverage dispenser having a hollow body with a closed bottom, a top assembly with an inlet for passing beverage into the hollow body, an enclosing sidewall extending between the top assembly and the bottom, a faucet mounted to the hollow body adjacent the bottom for dispensing beverage contained within the hollow body with a cover assembly having a cover with an inlet access opening, means for mounting the cover for movement between an operative position in which the inlet access opening is aligned with the inlet and the cover overlies the top assembly, and an inoperative position, and means movably mounted to the cover for selectively closing the inlet access opening to prevent access to the inlet when the cover is in the operative position and the inlet access opening is aligned with the inlet.
Preferably, the selectively closing means includes a closure member, and means for mounting the closure member for movement relative to the cover between a closed position in which the closure member closes the inlet access opening and an open position in which the closure member is spaced from the inlet access opening to enable the passage of beverage through the inlet access opening and the through the inlet and into the hollow body. Also, the mounting means includes means for pivotally mounting the closure member to the cover. The cover has an underside adjacent the top when in an operative position and the mounting means includes means for pivotally mounting the closure member to the underside of the cover.
The objective is also achieved in part by providing the dispenser in combination with a beverage brewer with a brew basket at a level to block entry of the hollow body beneath the brew basket with the inlet aligned with the brew basket by means of lateral engagement with the closure member extending above the cover. Preferably, the closure member has a color that contrasts with a color of the cover to enhance visibility of the cover when in the closed position and has a hemispherical surface that extends only slightly above the top when in the closed position.
Also, the beverage dispenser preferably includes a handle and means for movably mounting the handle to the top for movement between an upwardly extending carry position and a generally horizontal non-carry position. The cover is mounted for pivotal movement between the operative position and the inoperative position and the handle is positioned relative to a path of movement of the cover to limit such pivotal movement when the handle is in the generally horizontal non-carry position.
The object of the invention is also obtained in part by providing in association with a beverage dispenser having a hollow body with a closed bottom, a top assembly with an inlet for passing beverage into the hollow body, an enclosing sidewall extending between the top assembly and the bottom, a faucet mounted to the hollow body adjacent the bottom for dispensing beverage contained within the hollow body, a method of brewing beverage into the hollow body by performing the steps of moving a closure member from a closed position in which access to the inlet is closed and the closure member blocks location of the hollow body to a fill position beneath a source of beverage for passage of the beverage through the inlet to an open position in which access to the inlet is provided and the closure member is removed from a blocking position to enable movement of the hollow body to the fill position for receipt of beverage from the source through the inlet, moving the hollow body to the fill location beneath the source for receipt of beverage through the inlet and into the hollow body, passing beverage from the source through the inlet until a preselected amount of beverage has been passed into the hollow body while in the fill position, after the preselected quantity of beverage has been passed, removing the hollow body from the fill position beneath the source, and returning the closure member to the closed position. Preferably, in accordance with the method, the dispenser has a top and the closure member extends above the top when in the closed position to block movement of the beverage dispenser to the fill position beneath the beverage source by engaging the beverage source.
The objective is also achieved in part by providing a beverage dispenser having a hollow body, a closed bottom, a top with an inlet for passing beverage into the hollow body, an enclosing sidewall extending between the top and the bottom, a faucet mounted to the hollow body adjacent the bottom for dispensing beverage contained within the hollow body with a cover assembly having a top assembly with an inlet for mounting sealed receipt of a funnel assembly, a cover base mounted to the top assembly and having a pair of upper sections on either side of an intermediate recessed section for nestled receipt of a movably mounted cover for covering the inlet, means carried by the cover base and adjacent opposite ends of the pair of upper sections for mounting the cover for movement between an operative position in which the cover is nestled between the pair of upper sections and the inlet is covered, and an inoperative position in which the cover is not nestled and the inlet is not covered, and another recessed section surrounding a portion of each of the pair of upper sections and a portion of the cover base located between the pair of upper surfaces for receipt of a carry handle, and a carry handle, means carried by the cover base and adjacent the opposite ends of the upper sections for mounting the carry handle for movement between a non-carry position in which an uppermost surface of the handle is flush with the pair of upper surfaces, and a carry position.
In the preferred embodiment, the carry handle mounting means includes inwardly facing pivot axle receiving bores within opposed vertical faces of the upper surfaces and pivot axle stubs on opposite sides of carry handle, and when the carry handle is in the non-carry position it is positioned to block the cover from pivotal movement beyond a preselected maximum inoperative position.